


The Flower Fic

by theodorebee



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: 21 pilots - Freeform, 21p, Best Friends, F/M, Flowers, Friendship, Happy Ending, Josh Dun & Tyler Joseph Are Best Friends, Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph One Shot, M/M, flower fic, friends - Freeform, joshler - Freeform, no one dies, platonic, sorta - Freeform, twenty one pilots - Freeform, tøp - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-22 18:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7449991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theodorebee/pseuds/theodorebee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tyler and Josh have been friends their whole lives, Josh has always been there for Tyler, he's never left his best friend's side. Tyler finally figures out why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Flower Fic

I met Tyler at a playground. It was a good day, the sun was out but it wasn't too warm. Tyler was on the swings, dragging his toes in the dirt, his face looking tired. I was sitting in the shade, waiting for my parents to come pick me up. They would be here soon, but I wasn't really sure when. I dragged a stick in the dirt patch, making swirly lines that crossed over each other. I looked up at Tyler, he was the only other one in the park; and I wanted someone to play with. I dropped the stick and put my hands in my lap, twisting my fingers around. My mom always told me to try and make new friends. I reached out a hand and dragged my finger through the lines I had drawn, my finger was dirty when I picked it up but I just wiped it off on my shorts. I stood up and looked at the line of dirt, my dad would be mad because he would have to clean them again, but I didn't mind much. The wood chips made crunching sounds when I walked on them, like the noise a full bag of chips makes when you squeeze it.

"Tyler?" my voice was small when I called his name, and it took him a few seconds to look up. When he did, I gave him the toothy smile and waited for him to talk back.

"Who're you?" His hands came off his legs and wrapped around the chains of the swing. His eyes went up and down a few times, and I think he was trying to figure out how I knew his name. I wasn't really sure how I had known. "I don't know you."

"I'm Josh," I put my hands on the ground and sat down with my legs crossed. I looked up at Tyler and squinted my eyes. "Wanna be friends?"

"I don't know you." Tyler said again, frowning. He looked at his feet and lowered himself down. His fingers uncurled from the chains and the swing made a squeaking sound as he got off. Tyler sat down right in front of me, pulling his knees up to his chest and putting his head on them. "But okay."

"Okay," I said, pulling at a hole in my shirt. "What d'you wanna be when you're older?"

"A basketball player." Tyler lifted his head up from his knees and smiled, his eyes looked a lot happier and I decided that I liked his smile. "I like basketball so much."

"I want to be someone who makes other people happy." My voice got quieter towards the end and I scrunched up my nose. When Tyler didn't laugh I looked up, he was picking at some skin on his arm and nodding.

"That's a good job," he agreed. "You must be nice to want a job like that."

"I like making people smile." I stood up and held out my left hand for Tyler to take. "I hope we both get our jobs. Wanna play house? We can live in the playground."

"Can we have a dog?" Tyler asked as he took my hand. I nodded and said _'yeah, we'll have lots'_ as I helped him up.

Tyler and I were outside, chalk pooled out all around us. His mom would stop at the window every few minutes and make a face before continuing to walk past. Tyler said she didn't like me, I guessed it was because my parents never let Tyler come over to play. But I didn't mind if she didn't like me that much, I liked Tyler. He was my best friend, we did everything together and Tyler said that he wouldn't let his mom keep us from playing. I picked up a blue piece of chalk and held it up for Tyler to see.

"I think this is a good shade," I twirled it in my fingers so Tyler and I could both enjoy the blueness. "D'you think it'll work?"

"Yeah," Tyler said in a happy voice, his hair falling over his eyes when he nodded. "It's perfect."

"Blue's my favourite color," I explained as I held the chalk in my hand and started to draw puffy shapes. "Because it's-"

"The colour of the sky?" Tyler finished for me. I giggled and poked my tongue out at him between my teeth before nodding in agreement. Tyler rolled his eyes at my face but grinned anyways. "You've told me a bajillion and one times."

"It doesn't make it any less true." I put the chalk on the cement long-ways and started moving it back and forth to color in around the puffy shapes. Tyler dropped his piece and came to sit next to me. He turned his head and made faces while he tried to figure out what I was making. I grabbed a green piece and continued to color.

"Hey Josh?" Tyler looked at the ground and his voice was hard to hear. I stopped drawing and looked at him with a frown. "You know how my mom says I've gotta make more friends?"

"Yeah," I said, scrunching my nose up. She thought that Tyler should have more friends than just me. Maybe she just wanted to get rid of me because my parents wouldn't let me have anyone over. "Why?"

"She said I should start playing with kids from school instead of you. So I'd have friends when I go to school instead of just when I come home."

"Yeah," I said with a shrug, not liking the idea very much but not wanting to say anything. "That's fun, we'll have new friends." I didn't try to feel selfish, but I didn't want anyone to take Tyler from me. I picked up a new color and started drawing abstract lines in the cement, giving up on the sky I had been drawing. I looked up at Tyler, he seemed unsure of what to say. I picked up a piece of pink chalk, knowing that it was his favourite color, and put it next to his hand. Tyler grinned at me and took the chalk. He leaned against my shoulder as he started to draw over the sky with me.

"Do you think they'll stay after they meet you?" Tyler asked, throwing a paper plane in my direction. I reached up and caught it then sat back down on his bed, the springs squeaked when I did, and tossed it back. Tyler dove to the side to catch it before it hit the ground and sent me a goofy smile. He sat up and the smile slipped away, I could tell he was nervous. "Things have been going pretty good with these friends, but they want to meet you."

"If they don't stay then they're not real friends," I pointed out, watching Tyler crumple up the paper plane until it was a ball. He tossed it over his shoulder and it went into the small basket his dad had screwed onto the wall. Tyler nodded but didn't look convinced. "If they end up being mean then leave them. You always have me. I'll always be here."

"Always?" Tyler frowned at the word, it sounded almost _too_ permanent; but that's why I had used it.

"That's what I said," I said with a huff, why didn't he just listen? "That's what best friends do."

The doorbell rang downstairs and Tyler jumped up. He opened the door, leaning back to roll on his heels with it, and called out an 'I've got it!' Tyler gave me a hopeful smile and I gave him a thumbs-up. The second the room was empty, I ran to slip into the closet. Tyler and I agreed that it would be better if they met me when they were ready instead of just when they walked in. I closed the door behind me and backed up to the wall. Hangers were on both sides of my head, and I was standing on a lego that had fallen out of the bin during our clean up yesterday. I heard Tyler's voice getting closer.

"This is my room." Tyler's voice was muffled but I could hear it shaking, even through the wood door. I wanted to jump out and give him a hug right now, but I couldn't. We had a plan, after all.

"You have a basketball hoop? That's so cool!" One kid cried out and I heard a small laugh come from Tyler. He quietly agreed and I smiled, it was going well. Tyler would have more friends to play with, and as long as he still had time for me, I didn't mind _that_ much.

"It's sick," one kid said in a calm voice. I frowned in the darkness and pushed my ear up to the door. Maybe I hadn't heard it all right. How could a hoop be sick? I didn't think Tyler knew what it meant either, because he didn't laugh this time. There was a pause and I tried to listen, the same kid started talking. "When're we going to meet that friend? The one you always talk about."

Tyler always talked about me? My hands covered my mouth when I smiled, even though there was no one here to see me hiding it anyways. I heard a 'he's right over here actually' and then a piece of paper crunching as someone stepped on it. My smile vanished and I pushed my way as far from the door as I could get. My chest felt too small to get enough air and I held my breath. Tyler waited for me to open the door and called my name a few times. I shook my head and mumbled _no_ under my breath. I had never had any friends other than Tyler, I wasn't good at talking to people. _No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no_ I didn't let my hand move, I didn't want to open the door.

"Why is your friend in here?" I heard one of the boys say, sounding a lot less nice than he had before. "Who puts their friends in a closet?"

"We- we were gonna surprise you," Tyler said, his voice shaky. I frowned and almost pushed myself off the wall and out the door, these friends didn't deserve to know Tyler. Tyler was too nice for them. But then the door opened. Tyler held the doorknob and he looked at me, confused. I froze and gave him a smile. Tyler and I looked at the friends at the same time, waiting for a response.

"I just- I just don't understand why they always react that way," Tyler choked out, sloppily wiping his hands on his cheeks. His eyes were red and wide, reminding me of someone who was being choked, like the people in an action movie. But with the way Tyler was struggling with each breath, choking wasn't that bad of a way to describe it. His knees were pulled up to his chest, and his arms wrapped around himself. I pulled him closer to me and put my arms around his shoulders. I used my hands to wipe at his tears.

"They're all jerks, Tyler." My voice was gentle, I didn't want to sound as harsh as I felt. All of the friends that Tyler made reacted the same way whenever they met me. We think it's because I'm homeschooled and dress a little different. But they would always end up laughing at Tyler for knowing me, and Tyler ended up crying every time. He was too kind for this. I wrapped my arms tighter, wishing I could pull him closer still. "You don't need them."

The visits with strangers were becoming more and more spaced out each month. After those first two boys, it was only a week until someone else came. Then a month, then two, and three. Tyler had started to come home crying more and more often. Kids were starting to tease him at school, calling him names. I fumed at the thought of it, summer couldn't have come sooner. It gave Tyler a break from the harshness. But a new year brought new problems, all over again.

"Mom says I need to make more friends," Tyler said quietly, his voice shaking. "She said that you aren't enough."

I blinked, Tyler's mom had never liked me, but I didn't think that she would find a place to criticize me now of all times. I pushed Tyler's hair back, it was still long from summer break, it was going to be cut soon though. I didn't know the last time I had had a haircut, my hair grew slow. It would be rude to say that I didn't want Tyler to have any friends other than me. I wanted him to be happy, after all. And friends could make him happy. But they could also make you sad and angry. They could make you wake up in the middle of the night, crying. I didn't have a problem comforting Tyler when that happened, I just didn't want him to be sad... ever.

"Tyler, we're having dinner soon." The door to the basement opened and light fell on the wall farthest from us. I could see her shadow, a hand on her hip, her hair up in a ponytail.

"I'll be up in a minute," Tyler called, wiping his nose. "I'm just talking to Josh."

Tyler's mom didn't respond, she just looked at the ground. Her hand went from her hip up to her temples and she began to rub there. She closed the door slowly, I hardly even heard it click shut. She didn't like it when I showed up without Tyler asking. I could understand that though. I moved my hands down and poked Tyler in the side. He squirmed away and let out a yelp.

"I wasn't ready!" he laughed. His face was still streaked and red, but he looked better. His basketball shorts were dirty from the cement floor, and I knew his dad would be mad. Tyler's dad always got mad when he had to clean his shorts so often. Tyler smiled at me and shifted to he was sitting on his feet.

"Tyler are you happy?" I blurted out the question without thinking and I bit my lip right when I finished. Tyler let out a breath and his smile went away.

"I cry a lot, and I don't have friends at school," Tyler began, pausing in between each word. I looked at the ground, where my fingers were drawing in the dust. "But you make me happy, and I see you a lot; so I think I'm happy."

"Tyler if you're not happy then you should tell your mom." I drew a heart in the layer of dust, and then a smiley-face. "Maybe she could get help or something."

"I don't need help," Tyler huffed. I looked up, he was rolling his eyes. "I have you."

"But what if I'm ever not here?" I wasn't sure where those words had come from, but they felt right leaving my mouth. What if I ever wasn't here? What would Tyler do then? I had to make sure he'd be happy always, with or without me.

"Do you think the world would be better without me?" Tyler was laying down, his head resting on the steel beam of a railroad track. He was tossing a stone up and down thoughtlessly, clearly not thinking about what he was saying. I lifted my head up, my mouth open and my eyes narrowed.

"Tyler Joseph, why the hell would you say anything like that?" I sat up and crossed my legs, putting my hands in my lap. "You're so wonderful, of course the world needs you."

"I'm not sure sometimes," Tyler said with a shrug. He sat up and threw the rock and another track a few yards away, it pinged against the steel and fell onto the pile of stones all around it.

"Ten points," I said weakly, smiling. Tyler looked at me with raised eyebrows and I let out a huff. "What happened?"

"Well I'm going to high school soon, and I already told you that I'm going to that new one. But I'm not sure if a fresh start is enough." Tyler picked up another handful of rocks at his feet and started throwing them as far as he could. I looked at a small daisy growing in a crack between the tracks and knew that it would die the second a train came by. I pulled out a pocket knife and started digging at the wood it was rooted in. "What if no one at the new school wants to be my friend either?"

"If they don't wanna be your friend then they don't deserve you." I said with a sense of finality. I pulled up the uprooted daisy and stood up. I dusted off my jeans and started looking around, I held out my hand behind me and cleared my throat. I found a spot or dirt to replant it in and Tyler took my hand. I lifted him up and I led him to the place. I motioned for him to sit and he moved to he was facing me. He saw the flower and started wordlessly digging at the dirt. The two of us covered it up and I nodded. "Now it's safer."

"But you took it from it's home." Tyler teased, poking my sides. I smiled and stuck out my tongue at him. Tyler's smile disappeared in an instant though. "I can't even make friends, what am I good at?"

"Being perfect," I promised, not looking up from the dirt I was packing in around the flower. "Basketball, throwing rocks, you write nice poems, your singing in the shower is spot-on, and you make me smile."

"Yeah." Tyler sounded unconvinced. "But I'm not actually that great. You're just being nice because we're best friends." I stopped packing the dirt and grabbed Tyler's hands. I looked him in the eye and gave him a serious stare.

"Tyler, you're never gonna hurt yourself, right?"

"Do you ever think the world would be better off without me?" Tyler wasn't avoiding my question, I knew he wasn't. He just hadn't heard me. I squeezed his hands and he looked at me, his gaze clearing. I repeated the question patiently and his eyes widened in disbelief. "I don't think so, no."

"Promise me."

"I just said I wouldn't."

"Then promising me won't be that big of a deal."

"But it's not-"

"Promise my Tyler. Please?"

"I promise."

I was sitting on the curb, waiting for Tyler to get home. He would be here soon, the bus stop was down the street, but people pointed when we talked in public. Tyler always insisted that it was fine and that he didn't care, but I thought he did. So I waited down the street, where Tyler would meet me every day. The bus stopped at the corner and I counted each student get off. Three short freshmen, two sophomores, one of which was Tyler, and no upperclassmen. I waited patiently, Tyler walked over with his head low, his hands stuffed into his pockets. I didn't like the way he walked around other people, he looked so guarded and untrusting of the world. I didn't like that people hurt Tyler so easily and without thought. Tyler deserved the world and more.

"Tyler." He looked up when I called his name and blinked a few times before finding me. He pursed his lips together and gave me a small nod. I noticed that he hadn't put his hood down yet, which he usually did around me. I walked up and closed half of the distance. Tyler stopped and ducked his head but I caught him. I wrapped my fingers around the soft fabric of his jacket's hood and gently pulled it down. Tyler didn't meet my gaze and I could only stare. His eye was black and starting to swell a little, his cheek had a cut, and his lip was bleeding. I held Tyler's chin in my hand and angled his head upwards so he would face me. The movement was delayed, but Tyler did eventually look at me. His eyes were pooling with tears.

"Josh it's no big deal," Tyler said, his voice breaking. "It was an accident and kind of my fault- I-"

"Who did this to you," I asked, my voice cold. I stood up straighter and scanned the streets, almost as if I expected to find more attackers closing in. My free hand curled into a fist at my side and the other remained careful not to hurt Tyler more than he already had been.

"It's my fault." Tyler repeated the phrase, the tears pooling over. "It's always my fault."

"Oh, Tyler," I mumbled softly. I moved my hand off his chin and to his arm, I went in to hug him but Tyler took a stumble backwards. I was left with my hands ready to close around nothingness, I gave Tyler a surprised stare and he opened his mouth to talk but only a sob came out. He pulled the hood back up and walked past me. He threw open the screen door and into his house. My hands dropped to my sides and I watched the screen swing shut, at a loss of what to do.

I closed Tyler's window quietly behind myself and locked it. I wasn't supposed to be here, I knew his mom wouldn't want me to be around Tyler right now, when he was crying. _Josh is the last thing that you need_ , is what she'd say. I made my way to Tyler's bathroom door, avoiding chip bags and the floorboards that I knew creaked. I made my way to the bathroom door and tried the handle, it was locked, I knew it would be. I pressed my ear to the door and dug my nails into the palm of my hand when I heard his stifled sobbing. He shouldn't be sad, not when he had so much to look forward to in life. I bent down and ran my hand along the corner where the carpeting met the wall, I knew where Tyler kept the key to the doors. I pulled it out and stuck it in the keyhole. With a click it unlocked and I opened it slowly. Tyler was in the tub, his knees up to his chest and his sleeves wet from wiping away tears.

"I'm sorry I left like that," Tyler said, sniffing. "And that I pushed you away. I shouldn't have done that." I locked the door behind me and gave Tyler a helpful smile. I wordlessly pushed aside the shower curtain so I could get in next to him. Our legs were a great deal longer than they had been when we were younger. So squeezing into the same tub to hide from our problems was getting more difficult each time anything happened. Tyler shifted to his legs went over the side and I did the same, he rested his head on my shoulder and took a shuddering breath.

"What happened?" I put my arm around Tyler, pulling him in closer and letting him lean on me. 

"Those kids that've been mean to me this year," Tyler began, sounding unsure. His hands went into his lap and he started picking at his nails. "They knew today would be busy and that the busses wouldn't leave for a while, with all the traffic. And they tossed me around in the bathroom a little bit. They left when they were done."

Tyler leaned into me and let out a whiny sound in the back of his throat that turned into a fresh set of tears. I hummed quietly, running my fingers through his hair. My other hand played with the hem of his shirt's collar. This situation was becoming more and more frequent. Tyler coming home and crying. This was different though. This time he had cuts and a bruise, this time he pushed me away; locked me out.

"Tyler," I tapped my fingers idly on his head. Tyler took in a breath and looked at me. In that moment, it felt like someone had stuck their hand inside my chest and tightened a grip on my lungs. His eyes were red and his nose was raw. I didn't like seeing my best friend like this, not this sad. I remembered that Tyler promised to me he would never hurt himself. But he had been crying so often lately, I needed to make sure of something. "All those times you've cried this year. Was it because people were teasing you?"

"No," Tyler said with a shrug. "This is the first time anyone's really done anything."

"Then why've you been crying so often." Tyler didn't answer and I didn't press. I knew why. "You need to tell your mom, so you can get help."

"So the doctor said I need to take this once a day," Tyler held up the medication bottle to the window and looked at the label in the light. "And he said I'd get better."

"And by better you mean happier, right?" I leaned back on the pile of pillows in the corner. I felt accomplished, Tyler was taking a step in the right direction. He was gonna start crying less, feel happier, make a few friends even. I was getting my hopes up, but this could be the start of a better life for him.

"He didn't say." Tyler shrugged. "They just had me answer questions and had a girl come in and talk to me about some of my answers. They asked me about my friends and then they made me talk about you. And then school and how people treated me. Then about how things are at home and how I ' _interact_ ' with them. Then they talked to my mom and gave her the note to get this."

"Well," I was hoping for a simple _'yeah, it'll make me happier,'_ but this worked too. "Ready to try it, fingers crossed and all?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Tyler undid the cap, with a little trouble, and tapped a capsule into the palm of his hand. He rolled it between his fingers and the two of us watched the powder fall from one side to the next. Tyler took a deep breath and gave me a toothy grin. "Let's hope I get better after this."

Tyler was asleep, his head tilted back on his swivel-chair. Every few minutes he would let out a small snore, but it was always small. I sat and watched him sleep, wondering what to do with myself. If his mom came up to check on him, she'd have a fit. I had snuck in again, but she didn't need to ever find out. I had moved the pillows so they were built up atop me, that way I could easily duck and hide if she came. Tyler's feet were propped up on his desk, his toes twitching a little. He let out a small groan and then a mumble. His closed eyes squeezed tight and he started mumbling something under his breath.

"No, no, no, no, no, no," Tyler's head shook. I sat up, the pillows fell off of me and rolled to the bottom of the pile I had made. I knew I needed to stay ready to hide, but I could always dash into the closet if she came up. Tyler's arms were moving a little now, his face twisting as he kept mumbling the same words. "No, no, _no_ , _no_ , _no_!"

I dashed out of the pile and was at Tyler's side just as he jerked awake. He looked immediately to the pile of pillows I had been laying in before. He frowned and looked at the bathroom door, it was wide open, the light off. He looked around the room and his eyes fell on the window. He took his feet off the desk and walked up to it. I jumped out of the way to make room for him, chalking off his strange behaviour to the medication. He touched the latch with a gentle hand and kept it there. The window was locked, I always locked it after I came into his room. Tyler looked to the bathroom door again.

"Josh?" He took a step to the door, still wide open. Why did he look so afraid? Maybe paranoia was a side effect.

"Tyler are you okay?" I went to his side and put my hand on his shoulder but he didn't look my way. His eyes were kept trained on the door. "Tyler?" Still no change, paranoia was definitely a side effect. But then again, maybe he was just getting used to the medication, maybe it was temporary.

"Josh where are you?" Tyler sounded a little more frantic, he flicked on the bathroom light and looked around. It was a small room, I couldn't have hidden anywhere, but Tyler still looked. Was he not seeing that I was right here? Tyler turned around and I jumped out of his way just in time.

"Hey!" I called out after him as my foot caught on some jeans on the floor and almost fell. "Tyler I'm right here, it's okay."

"Josh! Josh where'd you go, you know I don't like you scaring me, _please_." I frowned, did he really think I would hide just to jump out and scare him? He threw open his bedroom door and hesitated before calling down to his family. "Has anyone seen Josh?"

There was a long pause, and Tyler stood waiting the whole time for a response. When it finally came, it was his mom, sounding disappointed and tired.

"Sweetie, I'm not going to answer that."

"Tyler," I grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the doorframe. Tyler stumbled and his eyes fell on me. His mouth was wide and he couldn't seem to think of anything to say for a moment. He pulled me close and hugged me tight, I patted him on the back, glad that the episode had passed. I had been getting a little worried for a second. He pulled away and held me at an arm's length.

"Josh, why'd you leave me?" His voice sounded mad, but I knew he was just trying to hide how afraid he was. I could see it in his eyes, he was shaken, and so was I. His hair stuck at an odd angle where his arm had been thrown over the back of the chair. It gave him a lopsided look, that made him look even more frazzled than I felt. Which was really saying something at this point. Tyler had never ignored me like that.

"I was here," I pulled Tyler to his bed and sat him down. His legs were shaking still and he looked like he was about to start calling out my name again because I had suddenly ' _disappeared_.' "You were freaking out and I was right here. I promise."

"That- that doesn't," Tyler looked at his medication bottle and frowned. "They said it could have weird side effects, but I didn't think I'd hallucinate.”

It was weird, after that, my perception of time got weird. I'd go to bed one night, playing video games with Tyler, and wake up to see that he had a new poster. Whenever I asked he'd enthusiastically tell me about this new thing that his friend had introduced to him. He would talk for hours on end about all of the people he was meeting. I wasn't sure if something was wrong with my memory all of the sudden, or maybe he wasn't telling me, maybe I was blacking out, but I never remembered hearing about all of these friends.

We would sit on the curb and watch cars passing, counting the ants as they marched past. While we did, Tyler would tell me about what he had done with his friends that weekend. All the while, I grinned, with my tongue poking out from between my teeth. Tyler was making friends, and they were being nicer to him. He was so much happier. I missed seeing all of this happening though. I realized that I only blackout when I sleep. I haven't slept in a few days now and I don't feel any different, I want to stay awake for Tyler. The only downside is that I have nothing to do late at night. But it's better than waking up and having missed a week of his life. I also found something else out, Tyler's medication is more off than before. They've upped the dosage because they say he's responding to it so positively, but he keeps ignoring me. I think he can't see me for days at a time. It's worrying me, but I guess as long as he's happy then it's alright.

Tyler met a girl today, her name is Jenna. She has nice hair that reminds me of the neighbor's, and a smile that makes Tyler hold his breath. They met because they had a project to do, it's been a year since he's started his medication. Tyler's started looking at colleges, but his mom won't let him start applying until he's narrowed down the list a bit more. He spends his weekends working at a music shop and he's planning on spending summer helping at a basketball camp for kids. He doesn't like the sport as much anymore, I'd say that his dream job has changed. Mine hasn't though. I still want to make people happy. I made Tyler happy. I convinced him to go to the doctor and get tested. He has friends now, he's happy. I helped make him happy. I'd like to say that I'm happy, but that'd be a lie. I'm happy for Tyler, not for me.

I'm convinced that my life is a dream now, and that it's all centered around Tyler. I'm sitting on the bed, watching Tyler on the floor with Jenna. She's making jokes and Tyler's taking all of the witty remarks I used to make. Papers and notes are pooled out around them, reminding me of how we used to sit in the driveway with chalk at our feet. Jenna leaned back and asked Tyler who his best friend was. I sat up straighter, I knew who Tyler spent most of his time talking to now. But they had only been talking for a year, less than that. Surely, over ten years of being best friends had to mean something to him. Right? Tyler glances at the ground before answering.

"If I tell you, you have to promise not to laugh or make fun of me." I knew where he was going with this. When people would made fun of him for being my friend, he was still worried about that. I wondered if he ever noticed that I was gone. For days on end, back for only hours at a time. Jenna sat up, interested.

"I promise." Jenna tucked hair behind her ear and waited for Tyler to talk.

"I met this kid at a park, his name was Josh. He was great and wonderful and he was so nice. I met him on a family trip to Indiana. When I went home, I saw him again, but I was little so I never thought anything of it. My mom never liked him but he was always there for me, he was my best friend for as long as I could remember." Tyler scrunched up his nose. "He meant so much to me, and now he's gone."

"Oh," Jenna frowned. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Wha- no," Tyler chuckled. I let out a breath, at least I wasn't a ghost. "Josh convinced me to go to the doctor about some things; they diagnosed me and I got medication. I didn't realize what was wrong with me until I started taking it. Josh, my best friend throughout my entire life up until this last year, was just an imaginary friend, a hallucination. My best friend, he was always there, and it's because he could never leave."

Jenna didn't say anything for a minute, she just stared at Tyler. Her face was blank, and Tyler stammered out his next words worriedly.

"P- please don't laugh at me. It was- it's- I'm past it, I'm not crazy anymore," Tyler held his face in his hands and I couldn't breath. It made sense, why his mom didn't want me over ever, why she never liked Tyler talking to me, why all of the kids laughed, teased him. I wanted to help Tyler and I made it worse. "He- he's helped me through so much. He still is my best friend, he's inside of me. I know he is because he promised he’d always be there for me. Sometimes I stop taking my medication just so I can see him again. Don't tell my mom."

"Tyler that's fine," Jenna promised, taking his hand. "I don't mind. If Josh made you happy, then I like him."

"I can't think of anyone who wouldn't like him." Tyler hid his smile. "He was perfect."

Tyler stood in front of a mirror, straightening his tie. His hair was trimmed and I could see that he was overflowing with happiness. He couldn't stop smiling, even though he was wearing a suit, and he _hates_ suits. Next to the mirror was a table, the only thing on it was a plain pillow with two rings. Tyler hasn't seen me since high school, but he remembers me. When he was alone he would talk to me, only sometimes, but it was nice. He has lots of friends now, and lots of dogs, just like he always wanted. He didn't end up being a basketball player, but he was fine with that, at least one of us had gotten the job we wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm Theo, the author, if you liked this fic along with my writing style and have an idea for a story you'd like me to write, shoot me a message or an ask on my blog https://theodorebee.tumblr.com/ thanks so much for reading and be sure to have a nice day! :)


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